Kisses Under Starry Night Skies

I couldn't wait any longer, I had to find Jack, I had to find him.

Zack, Alex and Rian came running into Kara's room. Zack picked me up in a hug. He cradled me while I cried into his chest.

"It's gonna be okay." He reassured.

"Zack, let me go, I have to find Jack." I pleaded. Rian and Alex went downstairs to talk to Kara.

"It's okay, we'll find him together."

"No, Zack we have to find him now!" I half-yelled.

"Just calm down for a minute." He said while I tried to wriggle free of his grip, which he tightened on me.

"No, Zack you don't understand. I like Jack more than any other guy I've ever dated and we're not even dating." I said tears streaming down my face and soaking into both mine and Zack's shirt.

"I do understand." He said.

"We have to find him!" I said hugging into Zack tighter.

"I know it'll be alright, we'll find him." he said kissing my forehead and helping me up.

"Okay." I said wiping my eyes.

"Good, now let's go down and talk to the others." We walked downstairs.

The others were sitting at the kitchen table talking when we walked in. Rian and Alex both got up up at the same time to hug me. I went straight to Rian ignoring Alex. Rian embraced me in a hug.

"It's okay." He said into my hair.

He ended the hug and went back to sit with Kara.

"Paige, I-" He started.

"Alex, I don't want to hear it." I said cutting him off.

"Just hear me out!" He pleaded.

"Dude, you can talk later. Right now we need to find Jack." Zack said placing a hand on Alex's shoulder.

"Okay, okay."

"So how are we gonna do this?" Zack asked looking at each of us.

"How are we going to do this? We're going to search every inch of Maryland. We'll search every inch of America if we have to." I almost yelled.

"It's okay." Zack said wrapping his arms around me.

"So, where should we start?" Kara asked.

"Well, I think we should all split up." I said.

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Rian said.

"Okay, Rian, you take your car and go anywhere and everywhere." Zack said.

"And Paige and I'll go together because I don't have a car." He continued.

"Kara, you go downtown and search cafes, cinemas, basically anywhere Jack would be."

"What about me?" Alex asked.

"Take your car and go where Jack likes to go to think, his parents house, I don't know, anywhere."

"Okay." He said walking out of Kara's house.

"Alright, Paige let's go." Zack said.

"Okay."

----------

Zack and I had been driving around for hours and still no sign of Jack.

"Where now?" I asked Zack.

"Hmmm, let's try that music store he likes."

"Okay." I said making a u-turn and heading back towards town.

"There it is." Zack said pointing to the left side of the street. "Just pull in here."

"Okay." I said slowing down to pull into the curb.

I walked inside there was no sign of Jack so I asked the guy at the front desk if he'd seen him.

"Hey, I was just wondering if you've seen a friend of mine. He comes in here all the time." I said.

"What's he look like?" The guy asked.

"Tall, always wears a hat and skinny jeans."

"Oh yeah, him." He said. "Nope, sorry the last time he was in was Thursday last week."

"Okay." I said trying to hide what I was feeling.

I walked back out to the car where Zack was waiting.

"What'd he say?"

"Nope, hasn't been in since last week." I said.

"What day last week?"

"Thursday." I mumbled.

"Great." Zack moaned.

"Should we check hospitals and stuff? I asked.

"No, I doubt he'd be there."

"Okay, where next?" I asked.

"Well, I think we should call it a day."

"What? But-"

"No buts, it's getting late and you need some rest."

"How do you expect me to sleep when my best friend, your best friend, our best friend is missing?"

"You need to try."

"Man, you suck." I groaned.

"It's all going to work out, I promise. We'll find him." Zack said taking my free hand in his.

As I turned onto Kara's street I could see Alex, Kara and Rian's cars parked in Kara's driveway. I parked on the street because her driveway was full obviously. Zack wrapped his arm around my shoulders and led me inside. I had started crying again on the drive back to Kara's.

"Hey guys, we're in the kitchen." Rian called when we walked inside. We made our way to the kitchen.

"So, updates?" Zack asked.

Kara and Rian just shook their heads.

"Alex?" Zack asked.

"Nope, nothing." Alex said not taking his eyes off me.

Rian drove Zack and I home that night. He came in to make sure I'd be okay. As soon as I walked in the front door I broke down. I couldn't stay here, Jack was everywhere. His favourite dunks by the front door, one of his many hats on the couch, one of his guitar picks on the coffee table. I just couldn't do it. Zack was cradling me in seconds, he carried me to the couch.

"What's wrong?" he asked as Rian sat beside us on the couch.

"I-I, can't stay here." I said sobbing.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Everything reminds me of him." I couldn't even say his name.

"Okay, maybe you should stay at Kara's for a while." Rian said.

"And Zack, maybe you should stay with Alex and I."

"Okay, yeah." Zack said hopping off the couch.

"Go upstairs and get some stuff to take to Kara's." He said to me helping me up.

I nodded and made my way upstairs. I grabbed a bag out of my closet and started packing it with clothes. Letting the tears flow freely now, I cried until I'd packed as many clothes as possible. I walked into the bathroom to grab my toothbrush, hairbrush and make-up. I tried to clean myself up before going back downstairs. Rian had called Kara to tell her. I walked downstairs slowly with my bag over my shoulder.

"You ready to go?" Rian asked putting an arm around my shoulders.

I nodded and smiled, a smile with no emotion or feeling. It was just for show. I hated not knowing where he was, how he was, or what he was thinking. This was all new to me, these new emotions I'd never felt before. I couldn't be me anymore. Jack was like what made me, me and now that he was missing a hole was developing, slowly eating away at everything around me. Making everything seem less important. He's like the sun that brightens my day. I never knew what an affect him not being around would have.

Yeah, I mean the guys go on tour most of the time and he's not around but this, this is something different, completely different. You don't know what you've got til it's gone.
We got to Kara's and I walked inside just wanting to be alone.

"You can stay in the spare room." She said as I walked past her and Alex in the kitchen.

"Thanks."

"No problem."